Comrade Black
Comrade Black is currently looking for employment within professional wrestling organisations. For more information, keep reading. The Past Public Service In the year 1976, a young man joined a government office in Moscow, eager to protect and serve the Motherland and her people from the sneaking tendrils of the great Capitalist enemy, America. His name was Dimitri Shostakov, and he was 20 years old at the time. Regrettably, large portions of his background and psych profile are no longer available, due to the subsequent liquidation of Soviet-era assets made in the spirit of glasnost, which has proven to be more trouble than it was worth...but that story is for another time. Dimitri's work within the bureau was mostly banal filing of past civil disturbances, but his dedication never wavered, and he impressed the right people to such a degree that he was forwarded to a position amongst the Politburo. The work became more dangerous; Western spies were constantly spreading propaganda amongst the people, and not a week would go by without a violent protest by some deluded countrymen whose faith in the system had waned. Dimitri rose to the occasion, putting a firm stop to any and all problems that started within his assigned area. His superiors never questioned his use of force, as one would expect a gutless American to do; they only cared for the results, which Dimitri delivered in spades. Quietly, it was suggested that Dimitri could out-box the Devil himself - purely as a joke, one somewhat lost in translation. It was around this time that Dimitri met and fell in love with an aspiring cellist named Anna Kunich. Though she was initially put off by his blunt mannerisms and violent work, Dimitri was more than willing to change his ways for her, and in time, she thawed. The pair began to live together in 1980, in a cramped flat on the capital's outskirts. Dimitri was certain that he had found his niche in life, and could ask for nothing more. Sadly, fate rarely allows any such status quo to be maintained for long. In the Shadows By winter of 1981, the couple were on the move once again, this time to a rather spacious converted loft with a glorious view overlooking Red Square itself. Anna was delighted, especially since it left her within comfortable walking distance of the capital's opera house, but she felt slightly uncomfortable with Dimitri's sudden silence regarding his working life, not to mention the unpredictable shifts; she would often awake in the early hours of the morning to find him sneaking out, donning a long black raincoat and fedora hat that would make him seem little more than a silhouette against the night sky. The truth was simple - Dimitri had once again been headhunted by a different organisation, and was now working for the KGB. The exact nature of his work at this time is unknown, as Dimitri had signed confidentiality papers that prevented his discussing such matters with anyone outside the imposing, hidden office nicknamed the 'Red Room', and of course the master manipulators pulling the strings behind said nest of secrecy were cunning enough to take their secrets to their graves. Nevertheless, the couple stayed together, and welcomed their first child, a boy named Piotr (after Anna's brother who died when she was 14), on the 17th of August, 1983. Sadly, a few nights of broken sleep were soon shown to be barely the tip of the iceberg when it came to the problems of marrying a government spook. They came in the dead of night on October 31. Anna had just laid her head down to sleep, when the door was broken off its hinges and three invaders stormed into the front room, tearing the furniture apart, breaking the windows, clearly searching for something, fruitlessly. Piotr cried out, and one of the three men barged into his room and grabbed him by the throat. Anna tried to stop him, but received a broken jaw for her troubles, before being dragged into the kitchen and bent forwards over the cooker; she felt about a second's worth of mortal fear, then her assailant slumped on top of her, dead. Dimitri, having crawled up the fire escape and snuck in through the kitchen window, did not waste time charging into the sitting room to face the remaining two. Half a minute later, two more bodies lay on the floor. One was Piotr's. The police arrived sometime afterwards, and filled the air with empty words of comfort whilst Dimitri and Anna huddled together in shock, with her tears running freely down her chin, staining his shirt. Neither would remember this night. For Anna, it would be a source of eternal grief that would leave an emotional void within her heart that would never be filled. For Dimitri, it would ignite a simmering flame of vengeance in his breast that would fester for years to come. After the Fall In the years that followed, neither Anna nor Dimitri dared suggest the idea of having another child, and the atmosphere when both were at home grew more and more uncomfortable. Based on the tattoos sported by the two dead men, Dimitri had sussed out they were Mafiya enforcers, employed by one Vladimir Pulnyenko, whose operations in Stalingrad had been the subject of multiple investigations by Dimitri and his workmates in the KGB over the past few months. Since Pulnyenko was nigh-untouchable and rarely stayed in the same place for more than a month at a time, Dimitri instead tried to trace the movements of the third man involved in the disastrous home invasion; a low-rent but ruthless thug-for-hire named Alexei Belova, nicknamed the Mongoose by the denizens of the underworld. Dimitri crossed paths with him several times over the next few years, but the slimy mercenary would always escape, gloating all the way. Meanwhile, Dimitri's fellow officers became more and more concerned with his obsessive behaviour, and there was talk of having him sent up to head office for a formal disciplinary hearing. Then everything came crashing down. Gorbachev destroyed the old order and welcomed the West with open arms, paving the way for free market economics and proper democracy in Russia, or at least values similar to them. Hundreds of former government officials were left jobless, their pensions abruptly evaporating, only to be left with a résumé full of unrecorded, shady dealings that held little water with potential employers. Dimitri was amongst their number. Reluctantly, he took Anna and whatever material goods he could hoard from his former workplace, and left behind his beloved nation's capital for the less busy, cheaper city of Arkhangelsk. This would not, however, prove to be the end of Dimitri's night-time prowling. Behind the Mask After two years of unemployment, Dimitri did eventually find new work...as a refuse collector. A far cry from the old days, but it brought money into the household, and given Anna's state - wallowing in misery and too unmotivated to even leave the house on most days - it was very much a necessity. But Dimitri cared little for his own plight whilst the country he had long served grew sick, poisoned by the ways of the Westerners he had long fought against. With the new government powerless and understaffed, many districts had caved in to the high-priced 'protection' offered by mob bosses like Pulnyenko, and were being robbed of what little money they could earn for themselves. The Mafiya, in turn, lived even grander, more decadent lives than they ever had under the regime put in place by Stalin, laughing themselves to sleep every night, knowing no-one in the country had the power or the jurisdiction to stop them. Moscow became a haven for prostitutes and thugs, Red Square little more than a cesspool of faded glory slowly being consumed by depravity. Dimitri saw all this, and swore to change it. But first, he had to be honest with Anna, and so on Halloween night, 1995, the two talked heart-to-heart, possibly for the first time since Piotr's passing, over a light meal and a bottle of wine. Anna would come to realise that, in many ways, she would always be second in Dimitri's heart; his love for his country had been there since early childhood, and continued to burn brightly. Accepting this, she accepted what he felt he had to do with a sad smile, telling him only that she would not be able to continue living without him. In response, Dimitri calmly stated, "Then I shall not die." Dimitri had kept the black raincoat and hat he used to wear for all night-time operations with the KGB, and continued to wear it for his new duties, aware of its ability to mask his form within dark alleyways and the like. Additionally, he donned a small, simple mask, based upon that sported by classical sword-wielding hero Zorro; despite its minimal size and style, the mask has successfully prevented the few who have seen his face in full light from discerning his identity, thereby keeping Anna safe from harm. As a final grace note, Dimitri cut strips of red cloth from the old Soviet flag that used to hang on the wall above his desk, and sewed them into a vivid tie - with a little help from Anna. Whilst this detail would prove costly in situations where stealth was a necessity, Dimitri felt it was needed to show the average onlooker what his actions were intended to stand for. From then on, Dimitri would take the 1,133 kilometre train line from Akrhangelsk to Moscow at least two days a week, departing early in the afternoon to ensure he would arrive with as much night time to spare as possible. Although his primary mission was to continue the fight against Pulnyenko and his peers, Dimitri's passion for justice would drive him to intervene in any crime in progress his travels - almost invariably by rooftop - would lead him to. Conscious of his advanced age - though in terrific physical condition, he was now approaching 50 - Dimitri would always lurk in the shadows and approach his target as silently as possible, before lunging into an abrupt, forceful single attack that would typically leave the target incapable of resistance, and any conspiring types nearby too stupified to react quickly. If the evidence was available for the overworked police force to make a successful arrest, Dimitri would leave his prey detained at the scene to be found by the next patrolling officer; if not, he would simply hurt them, in the hope that they would learn the foolishness of their actions through pain. Over time, tales of his exploits began to circulate in the bars and dens favoured by Moscow's criminal community, and a name was mentioned in hushed tones - 'Comrade Black'. The rest is history. Of course, vigilantes do not get paid for their services, and whilst seeking part-time career options to boost the household's income to the point where maybe the rent could be delivered on time for a change, Dimitri's attention was drawn to advertisements for independent wrestling shows. Whilst he had never competed in such a fashion before, he had received a thorough grounding in Sambo and similar martial arts whilst in the KGB, and his new 'career' had provided him with a colourful alter ego and nickname that would not seem out of place within the wrestling industry. Keen to protect his identity within his native land, Dimitri now seeks employment overseas... Wrestling career The Debut In late August 2009, Comrade Black was officially signed to Xtreme Wrestling Organisation (xWo), attached to the Revenge brand. His first on-screen appearance was in a backstage segment at the August 2009 Fall from Grace PPV. Two weeks later, after one instalment of Revenge was cruelly cancelled by USA Network, Black made an impressive in-ring debut, winning a multi-man First Blood elimination match against PJ Money, Brett Idol, Davey Suicide, Ryan McKenzie and Tank Palmer. This was followed by a tense, if amicable, backstage encounter between Black and Palmer, where 'the Tank' congratulated Black on his victory, but promised that next time he'd have to try harder. 'Next time', as it turned out, was on the very next episode of Revenge, airdate 21/09/09, where Palmer defeated Black by chokeout with the 'Cannon Clutch'. Following this disappointment, Black was understandably bumped down the card, and is set to face Jack Forsworn in the opening bout of the 28/09/09 broadcast... Move List Basic Moves *Shin Kick *Trapping Headbutts *Russian Leg Sweep *Pendulum Backbreaker *Stalling Suplex *Judo Hip Toss *Headlock Takedown *Gordbuster *Diving Body Press (over ropes) *Powerslam *Inverted Atomic Drop *Flying Forearm Strike (a la AJ Styles) *Double-leg Takedown w/ mounted punches *Front Dropkick *Snake Eyes Signature Moves *'The Hammer' - A double-handed Spinning Backfist strike, measured to catch the opponent on the side of one temple. This typically lays the opponent flat on their front, in preparation for... *'The Sickle' - With the opponent downed, the Comrade skips over them and heads for the ropes, stepping up onto the second one and springing off into a Lionsault; however, Dimitri tucks his legs up to his chest in midair, so that upon landing, it is his knees and shins that crush the opponent's back. *'Cold-cocked Lock' - Diving Reverse DDT, where Dimitri brings the opponent down across his knee, before seguing quickly into a Dragon Sleeper with body scissors. *'Roar of the Shurale' - Dimitri wrenches the opponent's arm, then hoists them up into Back Suplex position, before spinning them upside down as he falls into a modified Blue Thunder Bomb, with the opponent landing on their twisted limb. *'Tundran Toss' - After dashing towards an opponent, Dimitri waits for their attack, before sliding down onto one knee and hooking one arm up between their legs; then he quickly rises and links his other arm across the opponent's shoulder before recklessly and abruptly throwing them overhead with a Capture Suplex variant. *'Red Awakening' - An (Eastern) European Uppercut that sends the opponent spinning, before Dimitri brings them down with a Rude Awakening-style Neckbreaker. *'Stalin's Shadow' - Shining Wizard delivered to back of opponent's head. Used as starting point for a babyface-style 'big comeback' in most cases. *'Back to the Gulag' - With the opponent laying on their front, Dimitri grasps both their arms at the wrist and crosses them across their throat, before planting one foot firmly in the small of their back, and pulls sharply back on both arms. Submission hold. Finishing Moves *'Kremlin Krusher' - With the opponent sat upon the turnbuckle, Dimitri steps up onto the second rope and clutches both the opponent's legs, before leaping backwards and down to one knee with the opponent raised upon one shoulder; on impact, the opponent's body is folded and compressed in a manner similar to a Muscle Buster. *'Winter's Embrace' - Dimitri clamps a double Shoulder Claw on a standing opponent, digging his fingers into the sensitive nerve clusters where the shoulderblades meet the neck; after a few seconds, the numbing effect causes the opponent to sink to their knees - where Dimitri suddenly cracks them in the jaw with a double Knee Lift, knocking them out. Other Notes Entrance Music 'Blackout Attacks' from the 'Transformers' soundtrack, composed by Steve Jablonsky. NOTE: For Black's entrance, the music begins at the 1:12 mark. Attire Comrade Black is only ever seen in public wearing his 'business' clothing. Perhaps to blend in with the night, he dresses head to toe in the colour that gave him his name; a black silk shirt, black slacks, black shoes (Doc Martens) and black leather gloves. He also wears a black mask, of the same infinity-symbol style worn by Zorro, the Lone Ranger and many others, which is kept solidly in position by some form of spirit gum (theoretically - nobody has ever asked the Comrade about his adhesive of choice). The only colour present in his ensemble is his vividly red necktie, which the Comrade refuses to remove before his matches. Additionally, Black wears a long black coat and a black fedora hat when making his entrance or lurking backstage. Fighting Style Notes Comrade Black's fighting style is a hybrid composition of multiple martial arts learned under various instructors working within the KGB hierarchy; in wrestling, most of the recognisable elements stem from Sambo, a Russian-native derivative of Greco-Roman wrestling, although he also favours a ground & pound attack stratagem favoured by more modern MMA performers. He is also remarkably agile for a man of his size and age. However, Dimitri is also well aware of his advanced age and physical limitations; as such, he will resort to underhanded tactics - sneak attacks, disguised foreign object use, etc. - in order to take an early advantage before the wear and tear on his decaying body gets the better of him. He is not without a concept of honour, however, and will behave more respectably if he believes his opponent to be worthy of such a gesture. C